Aedes visits PM?s family

Dengue shows no mercyDENGUE HAS hit Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's family. On Wednesday, his son-in-law Vijay Tankha and grandsons Rohan and Madhav tested positive for the disease at AIIMS.

The dengue toll in Delhi has risen to 15. Nearly 600 dengue cases have been reported in the country, of which a majority of cases is from the national capital, Union health minister Anbumani Ramdoss said on Wednesday.

“There have been 589 dengue cases countrywide. Delhi alone reported 352 cases, while 237 cases were from other states,” he told reporters after releasing a national report on street food survey. But the minister said it was not an epidemic and there was no cause for panic.

Press advisor to the prime minister Sanjaya Baru confirmed that the prime minister's grandsons were unwell, “but I am not making an official statement as the PM's family has always preferred to stay away from the public glare”.

The states are putting protective mechanisms in place. The Bihar government on Wednesday decided to provide a “treatment protocol” to district hospitals and launch a cleanliness and fumigation drive across the state.